From the West Australian:

Visa ban likely for far-Right party leader

A far-Right British politician accused of inciting racial hatred is likely to be barred from coming to Australia on a speaking tour after pressure from Jewish and Muslim groups.

It is understood British National Party leader Nick Griffin has been red-flagged on a Federal Government alert list. The tour was due to start next month.

The theme was to be the “demographic genocide” caused by Third World immigrants.

The visa assessment coincides with the leaking of thousands of names, telephone numbers, home and email addresses of BNP members, prompting a spokesman for the group to warn it had “put the lives and livelihoods of fellow nationalists at risk”.

The West Australian, which has obtained a copy of the list containing more than 12,000 names, has identified at least 15 members of the BNP who are living in Australia, including two from WA.

Among the Australian BNP members is former One Nation candidate for the South Australian Federal seat of Boothby, Daniel Piechnick, who is described as an “activist” on the list.

Mr Piechnick, a 28-year-old web designer, told The West Australian yesterday his one-year membership of the BNP had expired and that he had joined the BNP only so he could study the way the party functioned.

“BNP was like One Nation but it was properly run and had a sensible leader,” he said. “It’s what One Nation should’ve been if One Nation had been more like the BNP, it would have been very successful.” Mr Piechnick said he did not agree with all of BNP ’s policies, but he said: “Immigration is not being managed properly, you can have immigration but if it’s too fast and it’s all to one place there’s not enough capacity for assimilation.” Alex Trussler, an English migrant and now a Sydney plumber, said he was not ashamed of his BNP membership, arguing right-wing political groups were on the rise around the world and Australia was no different.

British-born Queenslander Arthur Grice, 59, said he was also very proud of being a BNP member: “It’s got nothing to do with race, it’s a culture thing, about being British,” he said.

The two Perth-based members could not be contacted.

Robert Goot, president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said he would lobby Immigration Minister Chris Evans to block the BNP leader ’s visa application on the grounds he could incite racial and religious hatred.

Ikebal Patel, president of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils said he also planned to write to Senator Evans to block Mr Griffin ’s visa.

Senator Evans said Mr Griffin, like all non-citizens, would have to pass a character test in order to get into the country. But he emphasised the Government looked dimly on anyone who vilified, incited “discord” or represented a danger to the community.